


Communication

by BearGarbage



Series: The PB Cafe [10]
Category: Shirokuma Cafe | Polar Bear's Cafe, We Bare Bears (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-22 10:20:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11378196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearGarbage/pseuds/BearGarbage
Summary: A conflict on family matters arises between two bear brothers.





	Communication

Panda sat down on the white futon couch, staring at his older brother sitting across from him on the floor. 

Grizz recently invited Panda over for tea? The whole concept of Grizz inviting ANYONE over tea sounded strange.

Panda looked over at his older brother sip the tea. Before putting the mug back down and clearing his throat.

Grizz hasn’t been talking this whole time; besides the simple polite hello at the door. 

Panda sensed something was up.

Putting his mug down Panda began, “Hey bro?”

“Yeah Pan?” Grizz responded with plenty visible hesitance held in his tone.

“Is there something wrong? You’ve been acting weirdly quiet every since I got here.” Panda asked with a small smile.

Grizz looked down with a frown before taking a deep breath and whipping his head up to look Panda in the eye.

“Panpan I want you to come home with me.”

A look of confusion plastered on Panda’s face. Home? What did he mean? Weren’t they technically already in his home?

“Bro what are you talking about? A-aren’t we already at your home?” Panda questioned with a bit of hesitance lacing his tone.

“No bro...I mean I want you to come back home to the cave in California with me.”

Pandas eyes widened and the room hung in a tense silence. Was he hearing his brother right? Did he actually ask for him to come HOME. After everything, he worked on just to be here?

“Grizz...are you hearing yourself? A-are you actually asking ME to come back to the cave with you?!” Panda began, a hurt look appearing on his face.

“Yeah, bro! Things...haven’t been exactly the same since you left.” Grizz explained vaguely beginning to look away, his face contorting into a small frown.

“What do you mean bro? What the heck even happened?” Panda said moving a bit more forward to hear his brother.

“Well...Ice bear left the cave to take up owning a sushi restaurant soon after you left. And I tried to just live on my own but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t cook a single meal without burning it up. I ate takeout for a good week.”

“Before deciding to just go on a hibernation. Which lasted about three months until Charlie woke me up. He suggested I branch out and find a job of my own. Like the rest of my brothers did. And when I looked on the laptop...I noticed you still had the job site thing open and you picked a Japanese cafe...so..” 

Grizz played with his paws and looked off more from his brother’s sudden heated gaze. He could feel the judgment in his eyes and he didn’t even have to look at him.

Giving a hard dry swallow he continued, “And..knowing you went and got a job there I wanted to get one too so I can find you and at least be a family with you again.” Grizz finished.

Grizz looked over at his brother’s icy distant glare. He looked frustrated or at the very least agitated by hearing this. But he also looked..like he was contemplating?

“So...bro how about it? Please come back to the cave with me, you mean so much to me PanPan.”

Panda closed his eyes and with a frown held a loud deep breath.

Opening them again he looked straight into his brother's eyes before simply saying, “N-No. I never want to go back home with you to the cave. My life is here now.”

Grizz huffed with a frown crossing his arms.   
“You know..your being pretty selfish about this panpan.” Grizz angrily mumbled turning away a bit from his bro.

“What was that bro?!” Panda barked, anger rising in his tone. While he didn’t hear all of it, he distinctively heard Grizz say selfish and PanPan.

“I...said your selfish bro! You're so selfish that you didn’t even think of anyone but yourself before moving off across the globe!” Grizz shouted whipping around to face his brother with an icy glare.

“You know sometimes bro...your so...stubborn...and selfish sometimes...it makes me hate you!” Grizz finished with a snarl.

Panda’s eyes widened at what his brother was saying! How hypocritical! Grizz! Was the last one to call someone selfish!

Walking over to his brother he peered down at him with much anger in his eyes. “Selfish? You the guy who ditched me and our baby bro for a filthy burrito, the guy who ditched us for some internet star he never even met!

“The guy who invited his baby brother over to his home just to ask him to abandon everything he made here just to go back home with YOU! You didn’t even get this job for yourself!”

“You just got it in hopes you can ‘Sway’ my opinion and make me come back! And that’s true selfishness! I’m going home. Don’t talk to me Grizz.” Panda simply said before briskly turning around and walking out the door shutting it firmly behind him.

-

For the next few days, Panda was unusually silent at the cafe. That once jokey smile he usually held now just held either a tense frown in remembrance of what happened Or a look of someone who was utterly drained and felt defeated.

He even unintentionally cut off contact with Grizzly. His own boyfriend. Panda knew this...was actually pretty bad to do but it was either suffer looking at Grizz while talking to Grizzly or not go visit at all. And the second option seemed more pleasing.

Then one day while Panda was sitting at the counter thankfully able to relax for now as no one wanted any hot drinks.

Penguin San spoke up from across the counter. “Panda San are you alright? You looked off for a good few days now. I was just going to take it as you’re just having some bad days but...it’s almost been a week. And even I couldn’t be mad for that long.”

Panda’s head hung low before he began to speak. “I-It’s just my brother Grizz.”

“I thought you were at peace with not having your brothers around at hand anymore?” Panda Kun questioned.

“No that’s not the problem Panda Kun.” He sighed before rubbing his temples for a second.

“He’s here in Japan..and he actually asked me to go back to the cave with him! And when I didn’t he got all rude and even tried to call me selfish for just ‘Leaving’ him.”

“Looks like you weren’t the only one heavily affected by this move.” Shirokuma simply chimed in above them.

Panda gave him a simple nod before looking back to Penguin San and Panda Kun.

“Well it doesn’t matter Panda San right? You know you’d never just go back to the cave don’t you?” Penguin San asked

Panda looked away with a blush before rubbing his head. “A-Actually...after hearing everything that happened when I left...I felt guilt? I...kinda just wanted to tell him yes….but my sane side came and I realized I DIDN’T want to do that..”

Penguin San and Panda Kun stayed silent and looked at each other before looking at Panda. Before Penguin San could talk Shirokuma interjected between them saying, “Panda Chan, you really should just talk it out with your brother...before someone else tries to MAKE you apologize.” Shirokuma warned.

“What?! I’m not talking to that little backstabber! He said he hated me just because I didn’t put his feelings over my goal of getting here.”

Shirokuma just stared at Panda for a moment before letting out a huff. “Okay don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Panda looked at him with an off look..what did he MEAN by someone else...apprehension began to grow in him as the work day went on.   
As the final customer left, he looked out the store window before switching the open sign to closed.

“I-I’ll see you tomorrow Shirokuma Chan.” Panda said before walking out the shop, receiving a simple nod from the polar bear in response.

Looking from left to right he was on a full guard as he walked through the darkness. The streetlights being the only illumination making the scenery a bit less eerie for him.

Sitting down at the bus stop he waited for it to come.

Typing on his phone he stayed browsing the internet for a good five minutes until he heard from the distance..the roar of a motorcycle. It slowly growing louder in sound until it completely stopped.

Squinting his eyes he looked through the darkness trying to decipher who it was.

“Panda San hurry up and get the hell on.” A rough voice said, suddenly appearing in the streetlight to show it was Grizzly.

Taking Grizzly’s paw he got on the back of the motorcycle before holding tight onto him.

“S-so where are we going?” Panda asked.

The Grizzly gave a solitary grunt before driving off with him, ignoring the question.

The ride was short lived as they soon hit the place. Grizzly’s house.

Things slowly started to piece together! As Grizzly Kun began to speak to him, “You and your brother are gonna talk this silly argument out.”

A frown spread on his face and he spat out, “No way! I’m not apologizing to him! Why would I want to talk to someone who thinks I’m selfish just for doing something on my own!”

Panda fumed not moving as Grizzly began to go towards the door.

Looking back he saw Panda not following him. With a sigh, he went over to the other and hefted him up bridal style before walking towards the house.

“Hey no fair!” He barked before being dropped on the couch next to Grizz.

Looking at Grizz his face softened a bit until he saw the other give him a frown in which he soon returned.

A thick silence filling the room now as they both had in mind, talking was NOT something they were gonna do.

“Y’all need to talk right now!” Grizzly suddenly barked, irritation lacing his tone, “Every since this whole supposed argument happened Guri Chan hasn’t been acting like himself! And I’m worr- I mean it’s messing with profits! A sad worker isn’t a productive one.”

“There’s no way I’m talking to that selfish traitor.” Grizz coldly said, his back turned away from his brother.

“And there’s no way I’m talking to that selfish jarhead I used to call a brother,” Panda responded, his back turned away from Grizz as well.

Unexpectedly all Panda heard was a growl of frustration before he was forcefully whipped around as well as Grizz too by Grizzly. Forcing them to face one another.

“Y’all better talk right now or I’m busting some heads.”

Both eyes widened and they didn’t take the Grizzly bears threat lightly.   
“Grizz….I think it was selfish of you to just ask me to come home with you...after everything I’ve done here. It feels like a slap in the face coming from you...and then you said I was STUBBORN AND SELFISH and that’s why you hate me sometimes...that really didn’t help anything.” Panda began eyes looking off from Grizz.

Grizz looked at Panda before also looking off, “Look. I don’t hate you. But sometimes you can be so...selfish and stuck in your own way...its like you don’t want to listen to anyone but yourself. It’s like if I give you any sort of criticism or say something you don’t agree with then your hurt. The whole time you did this move..you didn’t even try to see how I or Ice felt...you were just caught up in yourself and moving..its like you didn’t even care you were leaving our family.”

A frown fell on his face again...it hurt so much leaving his brothers and having Grizz say THIS...  
“Bro! Leaving you guys actually hurt me a whole lot! Were you so wrapped up in your own little depression and angst that you didn’t see I was hurting too! I was so scared and lonely getting here at first! And...for you to just say I was completely happy and carefree about leaving you guys...that’s complete bull crap! And newsflash Grizz! I had to take a butt load of criticism when you know THIS guy.” He said pointing over to Grizzly. I’m willing to accept criticism...even harsh one...but I won't listen to or accept slander.”

Grizz held a broken look for a moment before finally uttering, “So...all I did for you...sacrificing my meals so you can eat when we were homeless...letting you sleep in the good spot of the back wedged below us when it was raining so you wouldn’t get as wet...getting those part time jobs so YOU and baby bro can eat...did that mean nothing? Did my attempts to keep this family together mean NOTHING to you!”

“What?! Are you really trying to guilt trip me now?! I am grateful for the stuff you did for me...but you know we weren’t just gonna stay living together in a cave FOREVER didn’t you?! DIDN’T YOU?!” Panda barked with much anger behind his tone.

Grizz looked off staying silent and Panda soon did the same. A thick tense silence filling the room, as even Grizzly had no idea what to say.

“Neither of you guys are completely in the right.” A voice suddenly sounded out from behind Panda.

Looking behind him, Panda looked up to see Shirokuma.  
Grizzly seemed a bit less miffed by his sudden appearance but more of a look of relief fell on his face.

“Panda San...while I love you, You shouldn’t have acted emotionless to your brother's feelings. While you showed it in Japan you missed him you most likely didn’t show that distress back in your old home did you?”   
Panda shamefully shook his head no and simply held his head low in shame.

“And you really do tend to blow up your brother's words and make them into something bigger than what they’re actually are...Panda San...please be more patient with him. He shouldn’t be so worried to the point he can’t even give you simple criticism.”  
Panda nodded again before giving a simple yes before receiving a kiss on the head from Shirokuma.

“Yeah! I’m glad you finally got him to understand!” Grizz cheered on the criticism of the other

Shirokuma looked back at the other with a blank stare. “You are no better Guri Chan.”

Grizz’s eyes widened at the sudden accusation and stayed silent waiting for Shirokuma to continue.

“Asking your little brother to leave his new home to come back to his old one instead of grow in this new one, Calling him selfish for saying no to going home with you, and then suddenly dumping all this information on him expecting him to take it well...is pretty selfish and inconsiderate of you Guri Chan.”

“N-No….I’m no better...I’m selfish and inconsiderate too Shirokuma Kun.” Panda cut in his voice shaky.

“What do you mean Panda San?” He questioned, all eyes looking at him in shock now.

“I-I….KNEW about my brothers discomfort...how much he always was willing to have the whole family stay together forever...but yet I tuned out all his pain..his depression..his discomfort..and pretended everyone was okay...I’m selfish….and an inconsiderate jerk...I...” He whimpered, the tears beginning to fall.

Everyone’s eyes widened and Shirokuma was about to go in for a hug but Grizz already lunged for him and held him in a tight one. Tears falling from his own eyes and dropping on the futon.

A silence held over for a moment before Shirokuma cut in saying, “This would be a good time to apologize. You guys both have a lot of faults..but instead of just tearing one another down for it, you can move past these and watch each other grow from these faults. You both are trying to grow right?” Shirokuma asked putting a paw on both shoulders as they hugged.

They both gave a simple nod before croaking out mumbled apologies in one another fur.

Shirokuma nodded accepting it as a good apology for those two before wrapping his large paws around both of them.

Silently giving a firm squeeze before resting a head on them. For the first time...Shirokuma felt...grief? For someone else’s problems? And in his heart, he felt glad he could help these two.

Soon he heard a rough grumble before another body hugging onto Shirokuma and the other two bears.

While things may seem like it was never going to get better..tonight showed Shirokuma that those two were going to work this out and grow. All it took was a little communication.


End file.
